- Ozempic’s label does not list anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts, but Wigoby’s does.
- The active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy is semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist.
- If you experience a change in your mental status while taking a GLP-1 such as Ozempic or Wegovy, contact your doctor right away.
Many people know about Ozempic and Wegovy, but they may not know the difference when it comes to the potential mental health side effects of these drugs.
Wegovy’s label lists harmful mental health side effects, but Ozempic’s label does not. However, both drugs contain semaglutide, which, according to Wegovy’s warning label, may increase the risk of:
- anxiety
- depression
- Suicidal thoughts and attempts
according to Dr. Sethu Reddy, President of the American Society of Clinical Endocrinology, and for good reason. “It’s the FDA and [drug company] They are lying to the public and hiding something,” he told Healthline.
Reddy explained that when a drug company conducts a clinical trial to obtain FDA approval, it must collect and report all adverse events that occur more frequently in patients receiving the drug than in the placebo group. did.
Still, mental health side effects should not be omitted or minimized, says Dr. Raafat Guirgis, a psychiatrist and clinical director. moment of clarity. “Consumers should always retain the right to know not only the benefits but also the consequences of using a medicine or product,” Guirgis told Healthline.
The active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy is semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist.
Semaglutide mimics the GLP-1 hormone, which is released in the gastrointestinal tract in response to a meal. GLP-1 causes the body to produce more insulin, which lowers blood sugar levels. This is why Ozempic is given to diabetics.
Additionally, large amounts of GLP-1 also interact with parts of the brain that reduce appetite and signal satiety.like thisThe active ingredients in Wegovy help people lose weight.
The higher amount of semaglutide in Wigovy compared to Ozempic may be the reason why more adverse mental health effects were reported in clinical trials for Wigovy, Reddy said.
“when [medications] “When you try to stop your appetite, a lot of other things happen in your brain, too, from depression to anxiety,” he said. “Perhaps we don’t see that much of an effect with GLP-1s like semaglutide, but we still need to always be careful about central nervous system side effects with drugs that affect the brain.”
Reddy pointed out that the psychological and mental state of patients taking Wegovy for weight loss and Ozempic for diabetes management can also affect their mental health. .
“It’s clear that mental health is very important to weight management, because given all the mental health factors that affect people’s diets, stress from unpleasant or pleasurable things tends to stimulate people’s appetite. Things like that, anxiety being a big part of it, societal attitudes towards weight, etc. It gives you a coping mechanism for mental and physical abuse,” Reddy said.
Guirgis added that common side effects of Ozempic and Wigovy can cause mental health side effects. These include:
“I think the worst side effect is the gastrointestinal effects of the injection,” Guirgis said.
“When the body is unable to eliminate waste products in the normal way, it rejects its response and attempts to regulate itself, causing disruption to its natural functioning state. Your body’s reaction may worsen.”
Dehydration caused by gastrointestinal effects can also affect mental health, Guirgis noted.
If you experience a change in your mental status while taking a GLP-1 such as Ozempic or Wegovy, contact your doctor right away.
“If you can’t reach them, go to the emergency room or urgent care,” Guirgis said.
Rest assured, there are alternative medications and treatment options for diabetes and weight loss. In most cases, your doctor will first reduce your dose to see if that helps reduce the effects on your mental health.
“Every drug has what’s called a therapeutic period, so taking too much aspirin can cause things like stomach ulcers and bleeding. Doctors try to find a dose that’s effective but doesn’t cause side effects,” says Reddy. he said.
Through trial and error, you may stop taking the medication for a few weeks to see if your mental health improves, then start it again.
“If your mood changes again, you have the answer. We usually reduce the dose or try a different drug,” Reddy said.
The type of hormone, its intended use, and a person’s gender are all factors in whether a hormone induces mental health effects.
For example, Reddy said insulin is a hormone that does not cause changes in mental health when taken in appropriate amounts.
Other hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen, change depending on the situation.
For example, Guirgis said testosterone can cause several mental health problems, including agitation, agitation, and aggressive reactions.
However, Reddy noted that when given to men with low testosterone, it may improve their outlook on life, energy, and exercise tolerance.
If a woman is going through menopause and has changes in her mental health, taking oral estrogen may improve depression and anxiety, Reddy said.
“It’s important to know and recognize that depression, mood swings, anxiety, and sadness can occur at any time when hormone injections are put into the body, regardless of gender,” Dr. Guirgis said.
Once a drug is approved by the FDA and is generally available, doctors must continue to report to the FDA any side effects they witness in their patients.
“If something is used in a million patients, you might see some of these side effects. One or two people in a million will have side effects, but in a much smaller number of patients. “The original FDA-approved studies that were conducted showed no side effects,” Reddy said.
“It doesn’t mean that the industry hides side effects from the public. It’s actually due to the nature of how the data is collected.”
As a drug becomes more widely used, side effects are documented, which may prompt research and add its effects to the label.
The fact that Ozempic’s label does not mention anxiety, depression, and suicide on its label, while Wegoby’s does, may be due to Wegoby’s higher semaglutide levels.
This difference may encourage further research on this topic.
If you think you are having mental health effects while taking Ozempic, Wegovy, or another GLP-1, contact your doctor right away.
